The Emir of the State of Qatar His Highness the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani attended on Wednesday 5 March 2008 the dinner banquet hosted in his honour and the accompanying delegation at the Presidential Palace by Romanian President Traian Basescu. At the outset of the banquet, the Romanian President gave an address over the banquet in which he thanked His Highness the Emir for accepting the invitation to visit Romania. He said it is high time to remember the excellent political and economic relations existing between the two countries noting that the reciprocal visits would surely lead to enhancing ties of cooperation between the two sides. President Traian Basescu asserted that his country is wishing to develop its relations with the Arab countries in the Gulf region indicating that relationship with Qatar is very important for Romania. For his part, H H the Emir gave a similar address over the banquet in which he voiced deep thanks to the Romanian President for the words of cordiality and friendship binding the two countries together implied in his address. H H the Emir said his presence in Romania is an evidence of the desire to enhance and shore up cooperation in all fields between the two countries. H H the Emir further underscored the firm belief of the State of Qatar in the importance of dialogue and coexistence among the various civilizations and religions despite the cultural and religious particularities between the nations and the peoples. "From this point, we in Qatar, have convened and we are still holding a set of conferences in this field to enhance dialogue and communications among the various peoples, cultures and religions," H H the Emir said. Earlier, His Highness the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Romanian President Traian Basescu held, a round of official talks at the Romanian Presidential Palace in Bucharest. The talks dealt with means of bolstering ties of cooperation between the two countries in all spheres. His Highness the Emir and the Romanian President also reviewed a host of issues of mutual concern. Following the talks, H H the Emir and the Romanian President attended the signing ceremony of two protocols between the two countries. The first protocol provides for amendment of a part of an agreement on mutual encouragement and protection of investments and the other on amendment of an agreement on economic, trade and technical cooperation between the government of Qatar and the government of Romania. The two protocols were signed on the Qatari side by Finance Minister and Acting Minister of Economy and Trade H E Youssef Hussain Kamal and by Economy Minister Varujan Vosganian for the Romanian side. Earlier, H H the Emir was accorded an official ceremonial reception upon his arrival at the Romanian Presidential Palace where he was welcomed by the Romania President and a number of Romanian ministers and officials.

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